Viva Italia - Day 8 (Travel to Venice)

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20TH

It was bittersweet to leave Florence this morning. We are super excited to make our way to Venice, but also had such a great time here - we hate to see it come to an end. We had a semi-early train to catch, so had the hotel call us a cab to the train station. We are getting pretty good with the train travel, timing it perfectly to arrive and board just prior to departure. Another short ride - about 2 hours. Both of us dosing in and out most of the way again, until we were close to Venice and started to pay attention to our surroundings. 

Venice is such an odd little city, surrounded entirely by water. Once we walked out of the train station, we hopped on the water taxi, which is actually more like a city bus and their form of public transportation. They have different routes, just like the CTA in Chicago...except it's all in water. We were on the boat for 20 minutes or so, as we were (of course) one of the last stops on this particular route.

We grabbed our luggage and began walking the very narrow and cobblestoned pathways. I cannot call them streets, because there are no motorized vehicles in any capacity. They really are mini pathways in which people walk - very quaint and peaceful. Not at all conducive to walking with a carry on, however. 

We walked for what seemed like forever, unable to find our hotel. Back and forth, across one canal to the next. We are staying in a boutique hotel with two locations. We had passed the first of which, but we were not staying at this particular location. Brandon and I are both good with directions, so we were getting a little flustered to say the least. We finally gave up and found ourselves back at the only location we were able to find. As luck would have it, they had advised us incorrectly and we were actually confirmed to stay here anyway!

We were starting to get settled into our room when we received a knock on the door - a complimentary champagne toast! We threw those back and unpacked just as fast. We only have two days here in Venice, so do not need to unload too much this time around! 

By now, we were approaching late afternoon and realized we needed to eat something. This proved equally as difficult as finding our hotel! I said it before, but will mention it again... Venice is definitely a unique destination, completely surrounded by water. It's almost like a non-deserted, deserted island (or islands, rather). Combine that with the fact that we are traveling in the middle of winter in a very water logged little area, the demand for lots of shops and restaurants isn't exactly at its peak. 

The young woman at our hotel had given us some local favorites and recommendations, we thought we would check out one of those spots right away. We were so excited, and it would have been awesome, but.... Boarded up and closed. Strike one. We then located a very busy restaurant nearby that smelled beyond appetizing! We walked in, waited patiently for a few minutes before we were noticed, only to find that they were also closed. Strike two. So we walked.... Another restaurant. People inside - check. Doors unlocked - check. Smells delicious - check. Kitchen closed - check. Strike three. 

Eventually, we did stumble into a cafe of sorts. There were three locals sitting outside, smoking and enjoying some beverages, so we were praying they would be open. Success! 

The owner was a petite, dark haired woman who spoke very little English. As opposed to making it clear that he could not understand a single word flying out of her mouth, Brandon proceeded to smile, nod, and make various hand gestures. Finally I looked at him, after moments of awkward staring and silence and said, "you realize she's asked you a question and waiting for your answer, right?" He had not... Regardless, we managed to get our order in - bruschetta to share and some wine to start. We were in desperate need at this point!

We inhaled the bruschetta, which was more like a personal pan pizza to share than anything - a surprise from what we had thought we ordered, but neither of us seemed to mind. The locals kept filtering in and out while we waited for our main dishes - sometimes using the wash closet, sometimes asking for small bites from the food in the display fridge. Alas, our wait was over. The main dishes arrived, and while we should have known from the bruschetta that this place was anything but culinarily savvy, I guess we were being naive.

I had ordered the carbonara, which I thought was a safe bet. Fairly standard and what not. This was anything but that, though not completely terrible in taste. For the first time since our arrival, this was clearly not a quality meal. Definitely not homemade anything, and definitely not consisting of quality ingredients. They almost assuredly were all of the boxed/canned variety. Brandon was simultaneously experiencing the same things as I, unfortunately for him it came in the form of rubbery, black seafood pasta. Like me, he got through it. We topped off the meal with some stale tiramisu. It was on display and I couldn't resist ordering it!

As we were getting bundled up to head back outside, one of the now noticeably intoxicated locals began teaching us the Venetian ways of binge drinking on a budget. He taught us that in any restaurant or bar in all of Venice, you have the option of ordering a very small glass of house wine that is universally called "un ombra," and only 1 euro in cost. Interesting! The wine here is already so cheap, saving a couple of euros for a tiny glass doesn't really fit into our "order by the liter" approach to each meal, but definitely good to know! He also schooled Brandon on the Italian spritz that we had both noticed him drinking - it is essentially a bitter mimosa: prosecco, with your choice of Aperol, Campari, or Cynar and club soda. Too bitter for my liking, but certainly something Brandon could get into!

We wandered around for the rest of the afternoon, getting the lay of the land for the next day's activities before we lost the sunlight and headed back to the hotel. Because of the late lunch, we ended up cancelling our previously set dinner reservation at 7pm. We just weren't hungry and thought we would pop into the local wine shop to pick up some booze in the meantime instead. Man, was this place PACKED!

In Venice, they have a similar tapas/pintxos culture like that of Spain. Around 4pm-7pm every day, it is like a happy hour where they pop into Cantinone Gia Schiavi to indulge in after work, or pre-dinner, drinks and small bites. Brandon had found this place by simply looking for a wine store, but we had no idea what we were walking into! Because it was so jam packed with locals, and mostly because we were not mentally prepared, we decided we would definitely be coming back here tomorrow to participate in this daily tradition. But for now, we were going to drop off our wine and grab a cocktail before attempting to find a dinner spot. 

We regrouped at a cafe meets restaurant meets bar near our hotel, Bar da Gino. For whatever reason, we decided wine would wait for dinner, it was time to try some cocktails! Brandon dove head first into the Italian spritz game (Aperol being his poison of choice), and I went with some alcoholic orange soda concoction. I'm still not sure what it was exactly, but it was pretty!

Over our cocktails, we agreed to try our luck with the recommended lunch spot restaurant that was closed earlier in the day. I was definitely suspect, but pleasantly surprised to find it booming with business as we approached. Al Vecio Marangon is a very small, local operation - only about 10 total tables, if that. It was exactly what we had hoped for. We thought we were late enough to walk in, since it was 9pm, but the lone waiter/host (after asking if we were French, in French!) asked that we wait patiently for about 10 minutes before a table opened up for us. We completely came out ahead, getting seated at a four person table for just the two of us. Ample room to spread out in a very congested little space. 

We ordered up our liter of wine, Caprese salad with house made burrata, lasagna for Brandon and gnocchi bolognese for me. The Caprese was easily the best of the trip - perfectly peppery arugula with the creamiest burrata cheese and super fresh tomatoes. 

After the antipasti, we noticed the couple seated next to us speaking English and playing musical chairs. Apparently it was time for a "different view" for each of them - direct quote. This would happen two more times before small talk with them really took flight, but I will get to that in a moment....

Our entrees came, and I could tell that Brandon was a little unsure of the lasagna. It was definitely not traditional, more of a béchamel than tomato based sauce, and it contained peas! On everything that is holy, that is among the best lasagna I've ever tasted. The layers were so very thin with homemade noodles and the flavor was so decadent. My mouth is watering just thinking of it! My dish was honestly just as good - not sauce heavy at all, just finely ground bolognese and the gnocchi were like tiny fluffy pillows. Brandon even liked mine as much (or more) than his, I think!

We were so stuffed, but everything was just so amazing that I knew had to have my hand at their tiramisu. Impressed with our level of consumption in comparison to our respective sizes, the English speaking couple made a last seat change and went in with the small talk. They were certainly strange, but Brandon and I can appreciate odd. If I'm being completely honest, I totally thought the husband was likely a washed up rock star. His nails were painted bright red and he was dressed in head to toe black - the pants leather, with connected platform boots within. Very specific, I know, but I got multiple good looks as a result of their altering of seats! She was a bit more normal in comparison, though not by much. Bleach blonde hair, air head demeanor, could have totally been a groupie!

Much to my disappointment, Bruce and Simone were not rock n' roll legends. They are probably in their late 40's/early 50's, if I had to guess, and hail from Seattle. We talked about our love of that particular city and then learned that Bruce is a producer of "the circus," which we understood was not an actual circus when he presented us with his business card, but rather Cirque du Soleil. Simone, it turns out, is a Cirque du Soleil acrobatic dancer. I have proof of this via her own business card as well. Bruce was getting quite comfortable with us, and probably extremely intoxicated to boot, as he began a rant on U.S. politics before Simone cut him off. I guess she didn't want us to be put off by his beliefs before they invited us to Slovenia aboard a private plane. THAT. HAPPENED. 

Brandon and I can usually deal with weirdos in social settings pretty well - Brandon much better than I. But when I saw that he was visibly freaked out, I knew we were in a very serious swingers situation without a clear exit strategy. I guess we should have seen the red flag when Bruce replied, "we like to think we have lived there for over 1600 years," when asked how long they've resided in their home overlooking a cliff in Seattle. Naturally, we thought it was a joke and laughed. Bruce did not....

Our respective desserts arrived just after I broke the news that we, unfortunately, would not be able to accompany them to Slovenia due to our departure the next day (yes, I panicked and lied). Impeccable timing, really. We both resumed focus on our own company, and Brandon and I thought we were in the clear. That was until Bruce, being the ice breaker that he is, said, "so I guess Slovenia's out then?" SHIT. We are forced to continue interaction....

I made the executive decision to order espresso, after hearing Bruce and Simone did not. I was hoping this would buy us some time and that they would leave the restaurant before we did. At this point, I would have done just about anything to avoid the inevitable, awkward exchange where they were going to ask us to continue the party with them elsewhere.  By the grace of God, it worked. They ended up heading out, but not before we were able to witness the coming together of Bruce's entire outfit - the addition of one very tight, white, moto leather jacket. I was actually jealous that it wasn't mine - it HAD to have been a female jacket. We said our goodbyes, wished them the best in Slovenia, and were begged to call them next time we were in Seattle. "Of course!"

The worst part of this entire encounter? We had one of the most amazing meals, yet we were so beyond flustered with the events that had just transpired, we forgot to tip our waiter. Dammit, Bruce!

We laughed hysterically the whole way home, slightly in fear that we could turn any given corner and have a chance of Bruce and Simone being there waiting for us. But we made it back without any road blocks. If that is not a tale filled with desire, fear, flattery and possibility of homicide, I don't know what is?!

I'm not sure if it's the adrenaline rush or the espresso, but Brandon and I are wired. We were told that the hotel has DVDs on hand, so we made the call down to the front desk. With an eclectic collection of 90s flicks, we popped open our wine and are enjoying the likes of a young Tommy Lee Jones, pre-tax fraud Wesley Snipes and less good looking Robert Downey, Jr. in US Marshals. 

Could this day have been ANY more bizarre?!